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Birmingham Trading Standards back down on personal searches

15 December 2008
Written by Rosalind Renshaw

Birmingham Trading Standards has revealed it will not be pursuing any further action into Home Information Packs that it initially thought were faulty.

A statement seems to suggest that any problems with the personal searches contained in the HIPs which officers took from some of the city’s estate agents could be laid at the door of the council’s own records, and those of other local authorities.

The statement says: “We recognise that where errors in searches occur, fault does not necessarily lie with the commercial HIP provider or their personal search partners, as they are obliged to compile information obtained from reliable sources which may not always be accurate for reasons beyond their control.”

The statement goes on: “Means of resolving these problems are being explored with the commercial HIP providers and their personal search partners to try and reduce any margin for error.”

The statement also makes it clear: “Birmingham Trading Standards would state that it has not uncovered any evidence to support officers’ initial suspicion that ‘private search companies are short-circuiting the system to save money’.”

It says it would be in the public interest if local authorities were to work with the industry to iron out teething problems. It acknowledges that HIP providers and personal search companies who were being investigated had been fully cooperative and indicated that they are committed to high standards of service.

It was back in September that Birmingham Trading Standards investigated a random selection of HIPs taken from agents. It found that five out of six were defective: one search was said to have even put the property in the wrong county.

But the latest statement now says that these were only initial observations and concludes:  “Birmingham Trading Standards would like to make it clear that no adverse inferences should be drawn from its initial comments.”

Comments

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    Yet another public sector cock-up. Why do we pay our taxes? Forget wars in the middle east, we need a war against state incompetence.

    • 15 December 2008 02:17 AM
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    It's marvelous isn't it? Birmingham City Council and it's Trading Standards officers make liabelous and missleading comments about the whole personal search industry without checking their fact first and then have to admit that in fact it was their own info which was wrong. Do the following posts come out in support of the personal search companies? No that would go against all the bad press already laid at their door. Jim just talks about legal proceedings for which there is no foundation. Classic. The simple fact is most search companies do a good job and, although they may not like Hips are responsible for the price being as low as it is.

    • 15 December 2008 01:30 AM
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    The problem here is that even if the Trading Standards Office started legal proceedings, it is unlikely to be concluded before the genaral Election when HIPs will be abolished by the new government. It would therefore be a waste of public money.

    • 15 December 2008 12:52 PM
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    One thing I have learnt is that no one is really interested in policing HIPS....make a complaint about a HIP issue to Trading Standards or OFT etc. and NO ONE is interested! Fact. So come April 6th dont expect any change in the way most Agents go about their business!

    • 15 December 2008 11:38 AM
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    So it transpires the HIP providers were not at fault but it appears the local authorities were - so why is action not being taken against them to ensure accuracy in future? While I think HIP's are of no benefit to the market if you are going to have them then all those involved in their preparation must be investigated and penalised if they get it wrong.

    • 15 December 2008 11:22 AM
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